


always the beautiful answer

by arete (aurai)



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: F/F, Multi, courtesy of another tumblr post, tree fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 11:47:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11736426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurai/pseuds/arete
Summary: (Based on a tumblr post by whimsicmimic and lucretia-stan)these girls are the worst romantic-advice-giving tree demons around.





	always the beautiful answer

Being a tree is. An experience.

 

At first, everything is fuzzy. Sloane has no concept of where she begins and ends. She has no concept of where she ends and Hurley begins. She has no concept of the difference between her and Hurley and the tree.

 

They just… are.

 

Slowly, Sloane regains consciousness, regains clarity. And though she loves the warmth that comes with being completely _one_ with Hurley, she misses her.

 

She hears wind, sometimes, or birds, or the voices of people passing by.

 

Then she hears Hurley.

 

_is this… death?_

 

Sloane, shocked and overjoyed, responds.

 

_this is tree!_

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

You lose track of time, as a tree.

 

It’s kind of nice. Floaty, and muted. You don’t have to do anything, but you’re not really bored because sometimes you’re not conscious enough to be bored.

 

Hurley loves and hates it. She misses Sloane. She misses Captain Captain Bane. She misses racing.

 

She reeeaally misses Sloane.

 

It helps that they can talk, sometimes. Sometimes they can even hear words from the tree itself - or, not words, exactly, but images and feelings. It loves them. It wants them to be safe. It’s sad that they’re in this situation, but happy to be with them. Happy to be born.

 

_hey, bird-brain_

 

_what_

 

_i love you_

 

_i love you too, sap_

 

_SAP GEDDIT_

 

_shut up_

 

* * *

 

The first time it happens, it’s an accident.

 

Sloane can’t see, not really - but she senses a young man pacing back and forth in front of the tree, and hears him muttering anxiously to himself.

 

“What if I… maybe I should… would he like flowers? No no no no, flowers are something you give to girls, he’ll think I’m insulting his masculinity. Or maybe - no, no. Ahhh, this is hopeless - maybe I should just go home -”

 

 _gay_ , hurley says, mostly to sloane. But Sloane hears the boy pause, feels him look around.

 

“He - hello?” he asks.

 

Hurley is shocked into silence. Sloane responds, not at all awkwardly.

 

_um. hello._

 

The young man hesitates, but answers. “Hi, um, who are you? Where are you?”

 

 _we’re all powerful demons come to haunt your city through this tree_ , Hurley says. Apparently she’s recovered from her surprise at being heard.

 

“Oh. Um, that’s nice. I’m just gonna go -”

 

 _if you go we’ll curse your family_ , Hurley says. Sloane chuckles.

 

 _we won’t curse your family_ , she says.

 

 _you’re very gay_ , Hurley says. _same here._

 

“Demons can be gay?” the young man asks.

 

 _sure. why not?_ Hurley says. She laughs. Sloane smiles. At least, she would be smiling. If she had a mouth.

 

 _give him the flowers_ , Sloane says in a superior voice. _boys like them more than you think_.

 

“Oh!” the young man says, surprised. “Um, okay? Thank you, I guess,”

 

 _you are very welcome, weak smol human_ , says Hurley.

 

“Um. I’m a half-orc. I’m like… very tol and strong.”

 

_you are very welcome, weak smol half-orc._

 

* * *

 

 

After this, more people begin to come. They ask if it’s true that the tree can talk. Sometimes Sloane and Hurley respond, sometimes they don’t.

 

The young man returns two days later.

 

_dude are you certain about bringing poppies… violets are better… get the violets…_

 

A member of the hammerhead gang comes by one day, shy but asking for date advice.

 

_take her on a battlewagon ride… just fantasy mad max it… just think about how rad that date would be… no regrets man just do it…_

 

Sometimes Hurley even likes to mess with people who aren’t asking for anything, who don’t even know that they’re in the tree.

 

_hey… you should kiss her… that dress looks super nice and also you should kiss her…_

 

It’s fun.


End file.
